Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-21


his bonds and mortgages and notes OF hand IN
the bosom of his dressing gown while he was
dying, and in the last moment held MS
parchment IN such tight grip tnat
most break the mans fingers in or
der to get the bonds away. Men are
actually making that choice. while there
are others who have done far differently
When they tried 10 bribe with money Martin
Luther, some one said: "There is no use try
ing TO do that-that Dutch beast cares moth
ing for gold" When they tried by giving him
cardinals hat, to brihe Sayonarola. he stood
up IN his pulpit and cried out: II will have
no red hat, savethat of martyrdom, co0red
with my own blood" These men chose Christ
amid great prosecutions; but how many there
are in this day, when Christianity seems to
be popular.w ho are ashamed OF Christ and not
willing to take the hardships-the seeming
hardships-of His religion. And, alas for
them! For long after the crash OF the. worlds
demolition they shall find that in ell these
years they were turning their backs upon the
palaces OF heaven, scrabbing on the doof OF
this worlds treasure house, the saliva OF
terrific lunacy on their lips-hOrribly ana
Overwhelmingly playing the fool.
Once more: say to you that those men
play the fool who, while they admit the right
eousness of religion. set 1t down for future at
tendance. Do you know how many times the
word now" occurs in the Bible2 over two
hundred times. One of the shortest words in
the Bible, and yet one OF the grandest In
meaning and ramiflcations. When does the
Bible say is the best time to repent2 Now.
| When does the Bible say that God will for
| give? Now. When does God say is the only
| safe time to attend to the alters of the soulp
Now. But that word Now" melts away as
easily as snowflake in the evening rain.
Where ia the now of the dead of last vearp
the NOW" of the dead of last month"; the
| of the dead of yesterdayP Time picked 1t up
it. swammerdam aud other natu-
ralists tell us there are insects which
| ia fhn of rrafn "a Ea
fulh their mission, celebrate their nup-
gials. and die; but this wonderful snow" is
| more shortlived than they. 1t is flash,
stroke, q glance. Its cradle is its grave. IL
men catch it at all, it is with QUICK clutch.
Millions of men have lost their soul immortal
because they did not understand the momen-
tum and the ponderosity of that one word.
All the strategic powers of hell are
exerted in trying to subtract from
the energy and emphasis of that word.
They say it is only word OF three letters,
while there is better word Of eight letters
to morrow" They say: "Fhrow away
that small word and take this other grand
one;" and so men say: "Give us tomorrow
and take away from US now" and between
those two words is the ApDian way OF death,
and great multitude throng that road,
josting and ebowing each other, hasJenlng
on swifter and swutter to die. For how
much would you walk the edge OF the roof
of your house? For how mucn would you
come out on the most dangerous peak OF the
MatterhOrn and wave your cap2 You say:
mo money could induce me to do it," And
yet you stand to-day. with one loot on %
crumbling moment and the other foot lifted,
not knowing where you will put 1t down,
while the distance between you and the bot
tom of the depth beneath you no plutnmet
can measure, no arithmetic calculate, no
Wi ing OF lightning cleave. And yet the Bible
tells US that unless man has new heart he
| cannot get into Heaven; and some of you aro
| not seeking for that new heart. In Mexico,
| sometimes the ground suddenly opens, and q
! man standing near the gap can see down an
appalling distance But. oh, IL to-day, at
your feet there should open the chasms of
the lost world, how You would ming yourself
back ana bold the pew. and cry: God
save me-now! now! nowW 1 greet you
to-day, my brother, in the very gate
of eternity. Some of us may live longer,
sand some of us may live shorter. time; but.
at the longest, life is so short that feel we
all stand on the door-sili OF the great future.
The next step-all the angels OF God cannot
undo the consequences. WIN your exit from
eous go mp. The Saviour helps them. Minister
ing spirits meet them, The doors of Para
| disc open to receive them. Up! up! up! D.
what grand thing it Is to die with a strong
faith in God, ike that which stonewaii
Jackson had, when, in his expiring moments,
lie sald "Let US cross over the river. and lie
| down under the shade" But to
falling--falling from God, falling from
hope. falling from peace, falling
| IRON Heaven-swiftly falling, wildly falling.
/ forever 1hilln&. 60 ~ was Win one VINO nau
been eminent for his Intelligence. but who
had omitted all preparation Tor the future
| world, and had come down to his last hour.
| He said to his wife. seated by the bedside:
90, don't talk to me about pain: it 10 the
mind, woman, 1t is the mind! OF all the
years of my life, never lived one minute for
heaven. IL IS awfully dark here" he
whispered. "it is awfully dark. l seem to
| stand on the slippery edge of great gulf. /
shall fall! | am falling" and with
shrek. as when a man tumbles over preci-
| pice, he expired. Wise for this world, about
all The matters OF his immortal soul he was.
| MS life long, playing the fool.
will take the case of some one in the build
| ing To-day, and ask you what you think about
| that case? He has been all his life amid
| Bibles and churches. so that he knows his
| duty. Christ has offered to do all for that
| man that Divine Saviour can offer to do for
| dying soul. Heaven has been offered him,
| yea, been pushed upon him, and yet he has
| not accepted II, and to-day he sits delib.
| erately allowing his chances for life to go
| away from him. What do you cay of that
| one? "Hallucinated," saws one. "Monoma-
| nlacal," says another. ''Playing the fool"
says another. Oh, how many there are aking
| Just that position! There 10 such q thing as
| pyromania, an insanity which disposes one to
/ destroy buildings by fire; but who would
| have thought that there was pyromania Of
| the immortal nature, and that any one could
| be 80 struck through with that insanity as TO
have desire and disposition TO consume the
| SOUL
Awake. mani awake, woman! from the
| phantasla, real or affected. Take Christ.
| Escape for eternity. just see what has been
| done for you. Lift the thorny cap from the
brow OF Jesus, and see the price that was
paid for your liberation. Look at the side a,
| and see where the spear went IN and moved
round and round amid broken arteries, the
blood rushing forth in awful sacrifice for your
SINS o, wrap those bare and mutilated feet
OF the dying Lord in your womanly lap, for
| they we're torn in hard tramp for your soul
! o, for tears TO weep over this laceratlon of
| Christ! o. for a broken heart TO worship Him
| D, for an omnIpotent impulse strong
enough to throw thi. whole audience
down at the feet of cruci1ed and
risen Jesus We must repent. We must
believe. We must be saved, 1 cannot con-
sent to have you loose your souls. Come
with me, and as in the summer time we go
| down To the beach and bathe In the waters.
80 to-day let us join hands and wade down
into the summery sea OF Gods forgiveness.
| Roll over us. tides Of everlasting love, roll
| over us! Dear Lord, we knock at the door OF
mercy not as the demented knock, not know =
| ing what they want, but knocking at the door
| OF mercy because we want 70 come in. while
| Others run their meaningless hands up and
| down the panels and scrabble at the gate, In
| the presence Of God. and men, and angels,
4 - -. -. 49, E..~al